MMM! I know that after the holidays the last thing on your mind is probably eating anything more. But, these cupcakes on The Farm Chicks website looked so heavenly, I think they are worth stuffing your face with.

The cakes in these little star studded wrappers (from Bake it Pretty) with a candy cane on top, look absolutely delectable. I love that they are filled with a peppermint cream. I love to whip up extra icing or a Boston Cream Pie filling and pipe it into my cupcakes. It just gives them that extra little something. I am a cupcake kinda girl, they are the perfect bite when you just need that little taste of something sweet!

There is only one more sleep till Christmas! I don’t know if I will be able to sleep, the excitement in the air, stirs so many childhood memories for me. May the spirit of Christmas be in your heart at this time and all the year through.

I love vintage Children’s books and I collect them as I see them, only the ones that really strike me. I wonder what happened to the little person they belonged to, their name written inside either scrawled in their own handwriting or written with a message of love from the people that gave it to them. What life did they lead, what life has this book lead?

I love illustrations, it is the image that grabs you before the words and these old drawings by Gustaf Tenggren from Sing for Christmas are so sweet. They have a wonderful German appeal to them, looking like the gorgeous wooden German Christmas ornaments made by Wendt & Kuhn.

These images made me smile and so I thought I would share them. I have found them in two places, the first being the wonderful ASIFA website, which is a treasure! And, the second being the Golden Gems Blog.

I love vintage Ads, especially Christmas ones. I have a fantastic Christmas Schweppes Ad that hangs in my kitchen and I smile every time I see it.

I found this old A&P Ad in Found in Mom’s Basement for spiced ice cubes. I am not sure what I would think of my ice tea once the cubes started to melt, with all the little bits floating around in it, but, I love the idea of these ice cubes.

It is probably because of the adorable little girl in her Eskimo coat showing us the recipe. This would be a fun thing to make for your girlfriends at a Christmas lunch or just to have in the house when Holiday visitors drop by unexpectedly.

Eglantine has been filled with little love notes and each day it has been a special treat to see what we have written for each other. We finished decorating last week and I love the fact that I get to come home to the merry twinkle of little lights and Scandinavian ornaments bedecking our garland that runs along the stairs.

Pixies, Milo & Gertie are watching over the garland on the mantle. Next to our nativity set stands Genevieve, our beautiful Christmas Angel handmade with vintage materials by Claire Fletcher, a friend of mine. I love her. She looks to me like she belongs at the top of the March girls’ tree from Little Women.

My slowly building project has been collecting little odds and ends to go around my zinc Christmas house. Last year I found a vintage chalkware Christmas cake topper from a little antique store. The red breasted robin sits so proudly on the postbox.

I love this time of year; pulling out treasures that have memories; everything has a story, putting in the new pieces that you have collected over the year to add to your Christmas stash…

We are all decorated now, so it won’t be long before we have our first hot chocolate night. Those are the nights where we can’t sleep so we come downstairs at some crazy hour, turn on just the Christmas lights, a little Christmas music and sit on the couch just being with a cup of hot chocolate. It is pure happiness!

Well it is still snowing. We have bundled up and stayed cozy and warm tonight inside. We have about 6 inches at the moment.Will it be a White Christmas? I hope so! The wind is whistling away and the snow is swirling around in mini white tornadoes.

The wind is so strong it sounds like the snow storm in Rudolph, I am waiting for the shingles to start peeling off and presents to go rolling by as the wrapping is torn off of them.

I love these frosty wintery nights and the unique peace that a snowfall brings. It seems to nestle all the houses in a blanket of love and brings a gentle quiet to the world.

Oh, my gnome obsession has once again come to light! While looking at some felt on the Magic Cabin website, I came across this little elfin door; adorably decorated for Christmas! This was just too cute to believe! I want this little door, I want to put it on a little tree trunk or place it next to my front door, like the Red Shoes Shop has done (see 27/9/08 post).

All gnomes and elves need a happy jolly entrance (or at least mine do) and who wouldn’t want to come and visit if they got to be invited in through a little door that looks like that? I am sure this is a Christmas door that would make the Borrowers proud!

I can just see them inside, drinking a spiced winter tea out of acorn cups next to a crackling little fire in cozy plaid arm chairs…